Filtering apparatus.



PATENTED JULY 11, 1905.

J. S. MILNE. FILTERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 0111.26, 1905.

low

WE m NI 5M & M w l l m M |lm|s E N w W Patented July 11, 1905 ATENTOFFICE.

JAMES S. MILNE, OF CAMDEN, NEVVJERSEY.

FBLTERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 794,631, dated July 11,1905.

A Application med January 26, 1905. Serial No. 242,785.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. MILNE, a citizen of the United States,anda'resident of the city and county of Camden and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Filtering Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

My invention-relates to that class of filters used for purifying water,and especiallyfor extracting the oil and other impurities from the waterof condensation from steam-engine exhausts, so as to enable the use ofsuch water over again as feed-water to steam-boilers and it consists inthe use of one or'more movable filter-beds composed of towel-crash orother woven fabric spread out, preferably under tension, in layers ofone or more thicknesses, through which the water is caused by gravity orpressure,fas may be preferred for the conditions in practice, toercolate. The filter-bed is mademovable t rough the employment of spoolson which it is rolled in a continuous sheet and then unwound and causedto traverse across the filterin -chamber, preferably on asupporting-table made of wire screemor perforated metal plate, to a.

receiving-spool, where it is rewound into a roll again as fast as'theinterstices "become filled or clogged with the'oil and impuritiesretained by it from the water flowingor percolating through same duringits travel across the filtering-chamber. The move- 'ment of thefilterbed in its travel across the.

' filtering zoneinay be intermittent, orit may be a continuous slowmotion and may be driven automatically by mechanical power or by aplication of hand-power, preferre the obgect beinflg to kee ng zonesupplie with e 'cient terial, through displacin as ma be thefiltertering matherefrom the clogged and filled materia without causinginterruption to the operation. of. the filtering in so doing, and thusmaintain the efficiency andcapacity of the filter with more uniform-..ity in its results and with less ex enditure of like material thatsoon loses its filtering cfficiency with a diminished filtering capacitybesides interrupting the operation of the filter in making the frequentrenewal of filterin material. I

n watefr-purifying apparatus as heretofore known and in wh ch movablebeds of filtering material are employed such beds' are enerally of theendless or belt ty e in com inationwith mechanism provide for removingfrom such belts the matter extracted from the water filtered. In m'herein-described invention I dispense wit such mechanism, as also withthe endless or belt type of filtering-beds, and instead I use thefiltering material in sheets or sections of appropriate lengths rolledon spools located within the confines of the apparatus. Said s ools,togetherwith the filtering material tliereon accumulated with its'bo yimpregnated with the oil, &c., extracted from the water filtered, isbodily removed from the apparatus, and the impregnated filteringmaterial thereon contained is treated to a cleaning process in whichsteam with or without chemicals is employed for thoroughly removingtherefrom the oil that otherwise would remain in the filtering material,which in case of itsreuse in the filter would-con.- taminate thefiltered water to such a de ree as to. render it unfit for repeated useas borerfeed in surface type of marine-en ine installations, for whichservicezmy sai invention is particularly desi ned. I accompllshthisresult by the use 0 the apparatus shown 1n its simplest form by theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and inwhich- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus onthe line A B of Fig. 2. a

Fig. 2i s a horizontal section of Fig. 1 on the line C D, and Fig.3 isan external view of the far side of the right-hand end of the apparatusindicated by Figs. 1 and 2.

Similar numerals referv to similar throughout the several views.

In the drawings, 4 represents the filter tank or vessel constructed ofsteel plate or other suitable material. the ends, as shown, with spoolor. roll chambers 5, 6, 7, and 8, and also with the erforated plates 9and 10, forming the tab as for parts It is'provided at IOO supportingthe movable'filtering beds 11 and 12. These filtering-beds are unwoundfrom the spools 13' and 1-4 and rewound on spools 15 and 16, resectively, as fast as they'become filled wit" oil or other impurities toan extent sufficient to impair their filtering efficiency and capacity.

The filter-beds 11 and 12 are-made of towel-crash or other fabric in oneor more sheets or'layers and for gravity-filters are placed onanin'cline longitudinally, as shown on the drawings, beingheld in thepro er plane by means of the idlers or guide-r01 ers 17, 18,19, and 20.(Shown in the drawings.)

In the spool-chambers 5 and 7 these idlers 18 I and 19 also serveto'prevent a backflow of the oil orother flowing impurities onto thefilterbeds in the filtering-chambers as it becomes squeezed out ofthe'fabric through the: winding process of it under tension on- 'thespools 15 and 16. This oil, &c., flows into the bottoms of therollchambers 5 and 7, from I Where it is removed from the apparatusthroughthe drain-outlets 23 and 24.

The winding of the filtering fabric or beds 11 and 12 onto the rolls 15and 16 fromv therolls 13 and 14, respectively, is accomplished by meansof the hand-cranks 25 and 26, the tension on the beds being attained bythe resistance of the counterweights 27 and 28, the enga ement of thepawls 29.and 30 with the rate et-wheels 31 and 32 maintaining suchtension. The roll-chambers 5, 6,7, and 8 may be provided with removableheads 33 and 34 to permit of the convenient removal of the spools-13,14, 15, and 1-6from their respective chambers whenever so desired forany purpose. a

The filtered water is collected in the chamber 35, from where it isremoved through the outlet-opening 43 from thea paratus.

In the case of gravity-filters a istributingnozzle 42 is provided forthe impure-Water inlet and is located over the highest end of theuppermost filter-bed, as shown on the drawings.

Covered openings 36, 3'7, 38, 39, 40, and 41 are provided for purposesof ins ection, repairs, cleanin &c., and'at such ocations as may be founmost suitable for the purpose named.

The operation of the apparatus is substantially as follows: The spools13 and 14 are first filled to their full holding capacity'with thesheet-filtering material, the longer the strips obviously the greaterthe length .of time intervening for interrupting the opera tion of theapparatus for renewal of the rolls with clean material, and theirrespective ends are attached by any suitable method to the oppositereceiving-spools 15 and 16, re-

spectively. The water tobe filtered is then conveyed into the apparatusthrough the inlet pipe 44 and is distributed over the highest end of thetop filter-bed 12 by means of the se- I ries of outlet-openings 45,shown in the noz zle 42, for this, purpose.

The arrows shown .in the filtering-chambers indicate the direction andpath or course of flow of the water into, through, and from theapparatus.-

Under the perforated table 9 is provided an apron 46 for collecting andconveying the water from the filter-bed 12 to the uppermost end of thefilter-bed 11, as shown on the drawings. The inclination of thefilterbeds causes the water to spread by its own gravity over same. Inthe case of filters in which the water is caused to pass through theapparatus under pressure the filter-beds need not be inclined nor needthey necessarily behorizontal, but may be held by tension or otherwisein avertical or any other plane asthe conditions of, installation maymake necessary.

'It' is obvious that the'supporting-tables 9 and 10 may be entirelyomitted without departing from the essence of my invention by causin thefiltering fabric to be held in position y tension alone; but I preferthe arrangement herein shown and described.

Mere details of construction of the apparatus form no part of the realinvention, and

ing process during suc removal and replacing.

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A water-purifying apparatus rovided with one or more movable filterineds the body of the filtering area of whic lies in a plane incombination with removable spools provided with one or more sheets offiltering material, substantially as and for the pur pose shown anddescribed.

2. A Water-purifyingapparatus consisting I of a tank or vessel providedwith a water-inlet opening; and a filtered-water-collecting chamberhaving a water-outlet o ening, and one or more movable filtering-be sthe body of the filtering area of which lies in a plane; in combinationwith removable spools pro 'vided with one or more sheets of filteringmaterial; substantially asand for the purposes shown and described.

Having thus described my said invention,

So I

3. A water-purifying apparatus consisting of a tank or vessel providedwith a water-inlet 0 ening, and a filtered-water collecting cham erhaving a water-outlet o ening, and one or more movable filtering-be sthe body of the filtering area of which lies in a plane; 1 incombination with spools for storage of and l giving movement to saidbeds, said spools being within the confines of said tank and i removabletherefrom with the accumulated thereon oil-impregnated sheets offiltering material; all substantially as and for the pur- 1 poses shownand described.

4. A water-purifying apparatus consisting 2 of a tank or vessel providedwith a water-inlet opening, and a filtered-water-collecting chamberhaving a filtered-water-outlet open- 44, a distributing-nozzle 42, andan outlet-pipe 43, and filtering-chambers 21 and 22, and a ablefilter-beds 1 1, and 12, resting upon perforated tables 9, and 10; incombination with ispool-chambers 5, 6, 7 and 8, containing spools 13,14, 15 and 16, and idlers or guiderollers 17, 18, 19 and 20, for storingand traversing said filter-beds; said spools being provided withhand-cranks 25, and 26, for rebeds the body of the filtering area ofwhich and 32, engaging pawls 29, and 30, for holdlies in a plane andprovided with spools for ing said spools in position, and withcounterstorage of and giving movement to said beds, weights 27, and 28,for maintaining tension said spools being within the confines of said gon said filter-beds; the spool-chambers 5, tank and removable therefromwith the ao- 1 and 6, being provided with drain-outlets 23, vumulatedthereon oil-impregnated sheets of i and 24; all substantially as and forthe purfiltering material; in combination with handi poses shown anddescribed.

cranks for revolving said spools, and ratchet- In witness whereof I havehereunto set my wheels and pawls therewith engaging, in con hand in thepresence oftwo subscribing witing, and with one or more movablefilteringi volving same, and with ratchet-wheels 31, l l

junction with counterweights, for maintainl nesses. ing tension on saidbeds; all substantially as JAMES S. MILNE. and for the purposes shownand described. Witnesses:

5. A water-purifying apparatus consisting of a tank or vessel 4,provided with inlet-pipe JAs. NELSON ALEXANDER, vRolavr. D. KINNEY.

